A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Sunday:
SPAIN
Real Madrid can lead the league with three rounds to go with a home win against Sevilla. The victory would leave the defending champion tied on points with Atlético Madrid, but Zinedine Zidane’s team has the tiebreaker advantage because of a better head-to-head record. Sevilla can keep its own title chance alive with a win as it sits seven points behind Atlético. Barcelona was in second place after drawing with Atlético 0-0 at the Camp Nou Stadium on Saturday. Barcelona stayed two points behind Diego Simeone’s team.
ENGLAND
After losing to Chelsea on Saturday, Manchester City can win the Premier League if Manchester United loses at Aston Villa. United opens an unenviable run of three league matches across five days with a trip to Aston Villa. As Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side tries to lock down second place, it then plays a home against Leicester on Tuesday and on Thursday against Liverpool in a match that was rescheduled from last weekend after being postponed due to crowd disorder. Solskjaer’s side remains unbeaten away in the league and faces a mid-table Villa side still without influential captain Jack Grealish. West Ham and Everton also meet as they chase European qualification. West Bromwich Albion is on the brink of being relegated as it faces ninth-placed Arsenal. Brighton is 10 points above the relegation zone heading into the trip to Wolverhampton.
ITALY
Juventus hosts AC Milan in a direct battle for a place in the Champions League. The sides are level on points along with third-placed Atalanta, which visits already relegated Parma. Napoli moved a point above the trio after beating Spezia 4-1 on Saturday. Milan coach Stefano Pioli has never beaten Juventus counterpart Andrea Pirlo, either as a player or coach, in 25 years. Pioli has also won only one of 22 matches against Juventus in his coaching career. At the other end of the table there is a direct fight to avoid relegation as Benevento hosts Cagliari, with just one point separating the sides. Fellow strugglers Torino and Genoa play Hellas Verona and Sassuolo respectively. Roma hosts bottom club Crotone.
GERMANY
After a coronavirus-enforced two-week break, Hertha Berlin’s busy schedule continues with a relegation battle at home against Arminia Bielefeld. Hertha’s demotion worries have eased since claiming four points from two games in the past week, but Bielefeld occupies the relegation-playoff spot and would gladly switch places with Hertha, which has a better goal difference. Hertha has played a game less and both teams are on the same points. Second-to-last Cologne is just a point behind Hertha and Bielefeld ahead of its game against visiting Freiburg. Also, Eintracht Frankfurt hopes to keep its Champions League qualification campaign on track with a derby win at home over Mainz, which is unbeaten in eight games.
FRANCE
Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain is under big pressure and needs to win at Europa League-chasing Rennes to stay one point behind leader Lille in a tense title race. But PSG must do so without 25-goal league top scorer Kylian Mbappe because of suspension and midfield schemer Marco Verratti, who has a knee injury. But Rennes is without the heart of its midfield as France internationals Eduardo Camavinga and Steven Nzonzi are out. Rennes is seventh and two points behind Marseille and Lens in fifth, the Europa League spot. If Marseille wins at Saint-Etienne earlier in the day, Rennes has to beat PSG or risk falling too far behind with only two rounds remaining after this one.
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